The Thirteen Crests
by Kin Ryu
Summary: My original DigiDestined team (friends and associates) take on the Ancient Evils.
1. Default Chapter

Jason lifted his head to the wind and looked at the sun. The light faded into the distance and streaked the sky with blues, purples, and reds. His sword reflected the light onto the ground in front of him.   
  
He raised the twisted blade, Shakora, up to his face and turned it, letting the light reflect onto his closed eyelids. Slowly, he raised the sword above his head. It started to absorb, rather than reflect, the sun's light. Shakora glowed with an inner light rivaling that of the sun's. A beam of the sacred light burst towards the cloud overhead, parting them.   
  
"Demon Master, Shakora! Hear your sword's carrier and show me your physical self. Enter my presence! Hiror...ani...amoro...ASHIDA!" Jason called to the sky and the lonely mountains, surrounding his home. An identical beam of light shot back at the sword, bouncing off the very tip and landing in front of Jason. He lowered the sword to be level with the being.   
  
Slowly, the light dulled and reformed into a small dragon. The dragon slithered to the sword and hissed, rolling his tongue on the edge. Satisfied, the little dragon turned back away and looked out over the plains below them. Jason sat beside the dragon and the beast crawled up his back and layed its head on his shoulder.  
  
"What do you think, Shakora? Will they arrive soon? Have they come to the other world yet?" Shakora hissed his answer in Jason's ear.  
  
"Yessss....They will be here ssssoon....They have yet to crosssss over though.....The othersssss, they await their arrival....And like the legend ssssaid.....They are already besssstowed their powersssss....Yessss...They will reach thissss point within three to four monthssss....." The dragon slid down Jason's back and into his arms. It sat there, still as a statue, staring at the sunset.  
  
Jason nodded his approval. "Good. I don't have long to wait for them then. Tell me, Shakora. What are their names and blessings?"  
  
Shakora rose from his spot and placed his head close to Jason's.   
  
"They are twelve....Three to Tiger.....Three to Phoenix.....Three to Dragon.....And three to Tortoissssse....Powerssss held by children.....Ssssstrength, Power, Might.....Divinity, Purity, Virtuessss.....Nobility, Faith, Leadership.....Dessssire, Assspiration, Accceptanccce....Three of each will come.....Sssso will those who await....Their powerssss will be phenomenal compared to the Elder Legend....Each one will sssssoon realize that the mastery of thesssse are inssside of them...." The dragon lowered his head and placed it alongside the sword.   
  
Again, Jason nodded. "Good. The sooner they realize their potential, the sooner they'll be able to build it and absorb others of the same. Now answer the rest of my question, young dragon. What are their names?"  
  
Shakora hissed violently at a lizard passing by. He turned his head back to Jason.   
  
"Thissss....I cannot reveal all of.....I know few......Fallon, Powerssss, Kiroko......Friend, Driscoll, Hall.....MacMillan, George, Takemini.....Doyle, Izumi, Reynolds.....That issss all I have been made aware of......Their Cressstsss overshadow their full identitiessss sssso that enemiessss cannot find them....."  
  
Jason turned to the sunset. His hand slid down along one side of the sword and to the point. Slowly, on the edge, he slid it up the other side. Raising his hand to Shakora's face, the dragon lapped greedily at the small amount of blood on Jason's palm. When he had finished, Jason took his bandana off and tied it around his hand.   
  
"Shakora, your job is done. Send yourself to the skies and your home." The little dragon nodded and spread his wings. He jumped into the warm air currents on the cliff's edge and floated towards the sun. The shimmer from his feathered wings and scales made it almost impossible to see him, so Jason stood and walked back to his house.   
  
The twelve with the Crests in them will be here soon. The time has finally come. After more than a thousand years, the ancient evils have become restless and will now strike out against the peace and tranquility. I just hope that the newer children can control their aspects at least as well as I can without having to work at it for a millennia. 


	2. Spiritual Strength

Part 2a, Spiritual Strength  
  
"Ohmigod! What the heck is that?!" Dianna Fallon yelled as she stopped and stared at the sky. Her friends stopped beside her and looked at the dark clouds. They saw nothing unusual.   
  
"What are you talking about, Di? I don't see anything." Dianna looked at her friends like they were crazy.  
  
"Can't you see it?! It's right there. Ohmigod!" Dianna clutched her chest as a black misty wind encircled her and started to place pressure on her heart. A dark glow began under her white shirt and slithered up the sides until she was covered in it. The mist seemed drawn to it and clung to her shirt, more so in the folds.   
  
Dianna dropped her hands and watched as a black striped shape came from her chest and stopped only a few inches in front of her. She reached out to touch it and was shocked. She fainted on the ground and reeled into a world of dreams....  
  
"Where am I? What's going on? Someone?! Help!" Dianna spun around looking for someone, anyone to talk to in the black. No one answered her calls as they were swallowed by the mysterious darkness. In the distance, a small light shone against the darkness, but it was like black shining against black. She ran towards it.  
  
As she got nearer, she noticed that the light seemed to radiate from her heart. She reached down and touched her chest through her shirt. Suddenly, she was wide awake....  
  
"What the! What happened?!" Dianna looked around her. Her friends lay on the ground beside her. She put her hand out to the nearest one and touched her arm. Suddenly, Dianna felt a jolt of energy run through her. Her fingertips turned black and the glow pulsated before shooting up her arm. Another luster started at her nails.   
  
Quickly, Di pulled back her hand. The black light on the tips of her fingers lightened and disappeared. She reached over and touched her friend again. When she did, the black light started once more to glow. She pulled her hand back to her and held them close to her chest.   
  
A dark glow emerged from Dianna's chest and circled her. The black misty wind encompassed her once more. Dianna placed her head down as she breathed in the air.   
  
Abruptly, she lifted her head to the growing darkness and screamed one last word before passing out.   
  
"Strength!" 


	3. Control of Power

Part 2a, Spiritual Strength  
  
"Ohmigod! What the heck is that?!" Dianna Fallon yelled as she stopped and stared at the sky. Her friends stopped beside her and looked at the dark clouds. They saw nothing unusual.   
  
"What are you talking about, Di? I don't see anything." Dianna looked at her friends like they were crazy.  
  
"Can't you see it?! It's right there. Ohmigod!" Dianna clutched her chest as a black misty wind encircled her and started to place pressure on her heart. A dark glow began under her white shirt and slithered up the sides until she was covered in it. The mist seemed drawn to it and clung to her shirt, more so in the folds.   
  
Dianna dropped her hands and watched as a black striped shape came from her chest and stopped only a few inches in front of her. She reached out to touch it and was shocked. She fainted on the ground and reeled into a world of dreams....  
  
"Where am I? What's going on? Someone?! Help!" Dianna spun around looking for someone, anyone to talk to in the black. No one answered her calls as they were swallowed by the mysterious darkness. In the distance, a small light shone against the darkness, but it was like black shining against black. She ran towards it.  
  
As she got nearer, she noticed that the light seemed to radiate from her heart. She reached down and touched her chest through her shirt. Suddenly, she was wide awake....  
  
"What the! What happened?!" Dianna looked around her. Her friends lay on the ground beside her. She put her hand out to the nearest one and touched her arm. Suddenly, Dianna felt a jolt of energy run through her. Her fingertips turned black and the glow pulsated before shooting up her arm. Another luster started at her nails.   
  
Quickly, Di pulled back her hand. The black light on the tips of her fingers lightened and disappeared. She reached over and touched her friend again. When she did, the black light started once more to glow. She pulled her hand back to her and held them close to her chest.   
  
A dark glow emerged from Dianna's chest and circled her. The black misty wind encompassed her once more. Dianna placed her head down as she breathed in the air.   
  
Abruptly, she lifted her head to the growing darkness and screamed one last word before passing out.   
  
"Strength!" 


	4. Gentle Might

Part 2c, Gentle Might  
  
Melissa Hikari Kiroko walked through the park staring up at the trees. She stopped and sat under her favorite oak tree. The shade felt nice as opposed to the heat from the direct sun. Hikari got a chill down her back from the coldness of the trunk of the tree but quickly warmed up to it. She picked up her sketch book and paused a second, gazing at the lake, before scribbling furiously onto her page.   
  
The tree behind her warmed as soon the sun changed places in the sky and was in front of the tree instead of behind it. The lake shimmered, making it too bright to see properly.   
  
Hikari stood up and placed her hand on the tree. She could almost feel the water, like blood, rushing through the bark, keeping the tree alive. Hikari wished the tree a silent farewell and a thanks for the shade before leaving. As she stepped off the grass and onto the pavement, a cold breeze suddenly sprung up. Hikari wrapped her arms around herself trying to keep warm.   
  
She ran back to the old oak tree and leaned against it. The wind whistled around her ears. Her hair flew up in front of her and she made a futile effort to keep it back. Hikari slid down against the trunk of the tree and sat on the ground.   
  
"I wish I had brought a jacket or something. Just in case," she muttered to herself. "I may as well draw." Hikari settled her sketch pad on her folded legs and took a pencil from the case. She placed the pencil near the page but again the wind blew up and her paper flapped over. The next page did the same and the next and next. Hikari turned around and looked up at the tree.   
  
The wind stopped blowing slightly and her paper stayed on the pad. Placing her pencil on the paper, Hikari started to sketch the tree's branches and boughs. A small leaf fluttered down in front of her and landed on the page. It was dark brown. Hikari looked up at the tree.   
  
All of the leaves had suddenly turned dark brown. But it was only June. Why were they all changing so soon?   
  
Hikari put her sketch pad to the side and got up on her knees. She reached a hand out and touched the rough bark. Maybe something was wrong with the tree. It felt warm. Very warm.  
  
Hikari pulled her hand back and held it to her chest. What was that? Why was the tree warm? She looked back where she had put her hand. Looking like the letters had been drilled deeply into the wood several years ago, was a single word. The word MIGHT. Hikari placed her hand on the wood.   
  
It started to glow a deep brown. The color spread to the bark, making it darker. The leaves that fell from the tree were all dark brown. Rapidly they fell, a small amount at first and then more. Soon it was like a rain of leaves. The wind quickly blew them away. They circled and danced in the air.  
  
Hikari's arms turned darker brown then her usual African-Japanese colored skin. The colors flew up her arm and melted together until they reached her neck. From there they paused and flowed down her whole body. Her legs turned darker brown.   
  
Hikari fell back from the tree. A massive jolt of electricity had suddenly blasted her when the brown had flooded her skin. The tree stopped glowing and turned back to the old shade of brown that it had. The leaves stilled and turned green again.  
  
The wind picked back up and blew past her ears. The wind whispered a single melody over and over again in her mind. Might.....Might.....Hikari, you're Might....  
  
She covered her ears to block out the sound to no avail. It just increased as the wind blew into the little cracks between her fingers. She shook her head to get the sound out. Nothing helped.  
  
Hikari struggled to her feet and fell towards the oak. Her hands spread in front of her, she slammed against the tree. One hand slid down and ran over the grooves of the letters. She could feel the trees Might flowing into her. Tears slid down her cheeks as more leaves turned brown and fell around her.  
  
"I don't know how I'm doing it," she whispered to the tree. "But I don't want to steal your Might. I don't want to make you die. Not now. Not after how long you've been here to inspire young artists like me. To protect people from the rain. To watch over young lovers. I don't want to hurt you." She stood back from the tree.   
  
The wind blew that same sing-song melody through her head. Might....Might.....Hikari, you're Might....  
  
"It's not my Might! It's the tree's. I don't care what I could do with all that Might, but I don't want to kill the tree to take it!" The wind taunted her again. Might.....Might....Hikari, you're Might....  
  
"No. No..."she whispered as much to herself as the wind and the tree. "No."   
  
The wind picked up again. This time it was damper, more chilling. Hikari was forced towards the tree, the only dry place in the winds space. She leaned against the tree. Her hand pressed against the engravings.   
  
A moment later, the wind calmed down and stopped. Just stopped. Hikari was suddenly gone. Her sketch book lay on the ground. It was flipped open to another page. Scrawled across the page in large, wooden letters was a single word. It looked both rough and detailed. MIGHT.... 


	5. A Discovery

Part 3, A Discovery  
  
"They're here. Three of them. I can feel the energies from their Crests. They're the ones from Tiger, to the East." Jason looked out his Eastern window. He turned away as the bright light glinted into his eyes.   
  
"The others, from Phoenix at South, will be here soon. It will only be a matter of time." He continued to skin the rabbit he had caught earlier for breakfast. 


	6. Divine Messengers

Part 4a, Divine Messengers  
  
The little bird was shoved out of the way by a pigeon after some food. Jami leaned down and picked up the small yellow, canary-like bird. It whistled happily to her as she placed a small piece of bread on her palm for the bird. The little yellow bird snatched it up and flew into the trees.   
  
Jami sat back down on the park bench and looked at the sky where the little bird had flown off to. I wish I could fly away like that, Jami thought. Oh well, I can't so no reason to pout about it.  
  
Jami turned back to the pigeons and finished throwing them the rest of her peanut butter and jam sandwich. She stood to leave. As she did, she notice an odd impression on the ground. It looked like someone had written in the pavement while it was wet. But as far as Jami could remember, they hadn't had wet pavement on this walkway for a decade. Besides, she came here everyday and still hadn't seen it.  
  
Eight letters indented into the ground.   
  
Jami walked over to the word, staring intensely. She noticed a piece of chalk and as she bent down to take a closer look at it, picked up the chalk and wrote over the word to see it better. In bright yellow letters, the word DIVINITY took form as the chalk filled the spaces. Jami reached above it and unconsciously drew an outline of a wing above the word.   
  
She looked up suddenly and stared at what she had drawn. She hadn't seen this symbol before, yet it had some great significance that linked to her. She knew that much. Jami reached out to touch the wing. Her fingers glowed a brilliant saffron at the tips and the picture followed suit, glowing almost as strongly.   
  
Jami pulled her fingers back and landed on her butt. She jumped up and took a step back from the word and the symbolic. Her mind reeled to think about what had happened. She had no idea how or why that he happened.  
  
A bright yellow feather fluttered onto Jami's shoulder. She started to glow a golden copper when suddenly she was comforted by the soft color which emanated from her. The little canary bird fluttered down and landed on her shoulder.  
  
The wind picked up, blasting the feathers off the ground and around Jami. Each one turned from a dull grey, blue, black, purple, green, white or rust color into a brilliant gold. The feathers blew faster and faster, swirling closer and closer to Jami's face, each one brushing it delicately. Soon the feathers blocked out the world around her and all that could be heard above the wind was the canary, singing.  
  
One crystal clear note hung in the air and rang with the distinct sound of DIVINITY. 


End file.
